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Hindley is one of 12 Australians set to feature in the French Grand Tour but will do so as BORA-hansgrohe’s leader and genuine general classification favourite after winning the Giro d’Italia last year.
AG2R-Citroen’s Ben O’Connor, fresh from making the podium at the Criterium du Dauphine, is another rider carrying overall expectations, with Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), Luke Durbridge, Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla), Nick Schultz, Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), Matthew Dinham, Sam Welsford, Chris Hamilton, and Alex Edmondson (Team DSM) rounding out the Australian contingent.
The fact that the “Australian Cup”, as Hindley put it, would feature so prominently in France was pleasing to the 27-year-old, particularly when making the professional level has proven difficult for Australians in the past.
“The ‘Australian Cup’ is pretty hotly contested at the moment,” Hindley told SBS Sport. “It’s super-nice to see.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for all the Australian pros; I know how hard it is to become a pro from Australia. It’s really nice to see these guys up there in the mix as well and I’m sure, at the Tour, it will be no different.
“Ben showed he’s in really good form with the podium at the Dauphine. (Haig) was also moving really well after a pretty solid Giro – he’s had a pretty solid season actually.
“For me, it’s really nice to be in the mix at a race like the Dauphine.”
“You definitely enjoy the racing a bit more,” he added. “I was riding River Loop with Ben when we were teenagers (and now) we’re at the Tour, and he’s also one of the favourites so it’s pretty special.”
For Hindley, contesting the Tour is a dream 20 years in the making, dating back to his time watching highlights on television with his father before eventually making his way to Europe as an unproven junior.
It’s this determination to succeed that has gotten the Western Australian this far in his career and it’s one his German team will look to tap into over the next three weeks, beginning with Stage 1 on July 1.
Aiding Hindley in his quest for the podium will be Danny van Poppel, Nils Politt, Patrick Konrad, Jordi Meeus, Bob Jungels, Marco Haller, and Emanuel Buchmann – the latter having finished fourth overall at the 2019 Tour.
It’s a “pretty well-rounded” squad, according to Hindley, with Buchmann’s presence central to his hopes of making an impact on a race that carries GC ramifications right from the first day.
“(Stage) 1 and 2 are already full GC days but (Stage) 5 and 6 are proper mountain days already in the first week which is like nontraditional for the Tour, so it’s really interesting,” Hindley explained.
“In terms of Buchman, it’s really nice to have him on the team. He’s in really good form at the moment, (he) put in a massive ride to win the German (Road) Championships the other day which was super impressive.
“He was also really strong at the Dauphine, and he’s also had really good results at the Tour in his own right, so for me to have him there helping me mainly, it’s pretty important.
“To have a guy, who has been fourth in the Tour, helping you every day is massive. He can be in the top 10 climbers in his own right… just to have the presence of a teammate there in the finals on these mountain days is huge so I think he’ll be a real key member of the team for sure.”
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) are two riders bound to battle Hindley for top spot on the podium, and while the latter still hopes to come away with his second Grand Tour victory, simply competing amongst the best in the world is enough to leave him happy.
“I would like to go there and be competitive more than anything,” he said. “(To) be in the mix in the race, feeling a part of the race not just surviving.
“I really want to go there, have a good crack, and see what I can do in the biggest bike race in the world.”
